Tools actuated by means of an explosive charge



Nov. 9, 1965 P. TERMET 3,216,140

TOOLS ACTUATED BY MEANS OF AN EXPLOSIVE CHARGE Filed May 20, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet,l

I NVEN TOR Pierre Terms? ATTORNEYS Nov. 9, 1965 P. TERMET 3,216,140

TOOLS ACTUATED BY MEANS OF AN EXPLOSIVE CHARGE Filed May 20, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVENT OR Pierre Zkrme? ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofifice 3,216,140 Patented Nov. 9, 1965 3,216,140 TOOLS ACTUATED BY MEANS F AN EXPLOSIVE CHARGE Pierre Termet, Lyon, France, assignor to Societe anonyme dite: S.0.L.E.F.I., Lyon, France, a corporation of France Filed May 20, 1963, Ser. No. 281,563 Claims priority, application France, May 25, 1962, 898,822, Patent No. 1,331,571 1 Claim. (Cl. 42-25) It is known that tools actuated by the explosive force of a cartridge have been used for a long time.

Tools of this kind are used more particularly for driving attachment bolts into hard materials such as steel, and for caulking or sectioning rivets; other tools of this nature are also used as slaughtering devices for killing animals by perforation of the cranium or by stunning.

The present invention concerns an improved mechanism providing a simple and practical connection between the barrel and the breech of tools of this kind. The mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention can also be advantageously combined with a device for automatically ejecting the cartridge case.

The present invention consists in a tool using the explosive force of a cartridge, comprising a circular ring capable of being freely displaced axially and rotated on the part of the barrel surrounding the explosion chamber, which ring is pivoted at two diametrically opposite points to two arms rigid with the breech, in such a manner that the pivotal connection thus obtained enables the barrel to be locked on the breech with the aid of appropriate locking means, and enables the barrel to be pivotally moved relatively to the breech after having been unlocked.

According to a further feature of the invention, the tool comprises an automatic ejector, and a member which effects ejection of the cartridge case under the action of a spring is held in place by a locking means which trees this member only when the lateral part of the breech bears against the barrel at the end of the pivotal movement.

Embodiments of the invention chosen by way of example but not of limitation are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view, in axial section, of a mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention, with the breech locked on the barrel,

FIGURE 2 is a similar view but shows the breech unlocked,

FIGURE 3 is a similar view showing the mechanism after the breech has been pivotally moved relatively to the barrel and at the moment of ejection of the cartridge case,

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the mechanism shown in FIGURES 1 to 3, and

FIGURE 5 is a view, in section, of a simplified embodiment of the invention.

FIGURES 1 and 2 show the barrel 1 with explosion chamber 2 in which a cartridge 3 is engaged.

The breech 4 carrying percussion means not shown in the drawing is locked on the barrel by known means in the form of a three-start screw thread 5 enabling the barrel to be locked on and released from the breech by a rotary movement through about one quarter of a turn.

In accordance with the invention the rear part of the barrel is provided with a ring 6 capable of being rotated and axially displaced relatively to the barrel. The breech 4 is connected to this ring 6 by two arms 7 and 8 pivoted to the ring by means of screws 9 and 10 of which the ends engage in two openings provided in the ring 6.

The end 10a of the screw 10 projects into the interior of the ring 6 so as to engage in a channel 11 which extends partly round the periphery of the barrel and of which the purpose will be explained hereunder.

The width of this channel is sufiicient to permit an axial movement of the barrel relatively to the breech enabling these two members to be unlocked and then pivotally moved relatively to one another.

FIGURE 1 shows a piston 12 which is actuated by the gases produced by the explosion of the cartridge 3 and drives in an attachment bolt, but it will be clear that the mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention can be used in tools actuated by other means.

The drawings also show an ejector 13 of which the head 13a engages the rim 3a of the cartridge case 3, as is usual in ejectors of this kind.

A spring 14 urges the ejector 13 in the direction of outward movement for extraction of the cartridge case.

The ejector 13 is slidably mounted in a suitable recess in the barrel; the movements of the ejector are limited by a screw 15 which is mounted in the barrel and of which the end 15a engages in an oblong recess 16 formed in the ejector 13.

It will be clear that under these circumstances the ejector 13 cannot escape completely from the barrel, and that the outward movement of the ejector ceases when the end of the recess 16 comes into contact with the end 15a of the screw 15.

The end of the ejector 13 which is within the barrel is provided with a neck 17 of which the diameter is less than that of the adjacent parts of the ejector; when the ejector is in the position shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, this neck registers with a cylindrical recess 18 which is disposed radially with respect to the barrel and which contains a blocking member 19 urged outwards by a spring and provided with an opening 19a through which the end of the ejector 13 extends.

It will be clear that when the ejector has been moved into the position shown in FIGURE 1, the ejector is then maintained in this position by the blocking member 19 driven into the neck by the action of the spring of the blocking member.

It will also be understood that the ejector 13 can be freed by a force exerted on this blocking member in the direction of the arrow F in FIGURE 1, the effect of this force being to move the blocking member out of the neck 17.

The channel 11 extends sufficiently far round the periphery of the barrel to enable the barrel and breech to be locked and unlocked and then pivotally moved relatively to one another.

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, locking and unlocking are elfected by a relative rotary movement through about one quarter of a turn.

FIGURE 2 shows the position of the end 10a of the screw 10 relatively to the channel 11 at the moment when the barrel has been freed from the breech after a rotary movement through about one quarter of a turn, whereas FIGURE 1 shows the relative position of the barrel and of the breech when locked together.

It is to be observed that in FIGURE 1 the end 10a of the screw 10 is at the right-hand edge of the channel 11, whereas in FIGURE 2 this end is at the left-hand edge.

The extremity of the channel 11 at which the screw 10 is located in the unlocked position is extended by a recess 20 permitting additional axial displacement of the barrel relatively to the breech so as to enable these two members to be pivotally moved relatively to one another.

FIGURE 3 shows that when the breech is pivotally moved relatively to the barrel an abutment 21 rigid with the breech registers with the block member 19, so that suflicient force to cause the cartridge case to be ejected 3 can be exerted on the blocking member through this abutment.

The manner of operation of the mechanism is as follows:

The apparatus is initially in the firing position as shown in FIGURE 1; the barrel is locked on the breech, and the ejector is held by the blocking member 19.

After the shot has been fired, the breach is rotated relatively to the barrel through about one quarter of a turn; this brings the tool into the position shown in FIG- URE 2, the breech having been rotated while the barrel has remained stationary.

The end 10a of the screw 10 abuts against the extremity of the channel 11, and this prevents the breech from being rotated any further than is necessary for unlocking. The breech is then moved away from the barrel axially, so that the end 10a of the screw 10 engages in the recess 20.

It is then possible to move the breech pivotally with respect to the barrel.

It is to be observed that because of the existence of the recess 20 this pivotal movement can take place about one axis only, that is to say the axis passing through the recess 20, so that the abutment 21 must necessarily register with the blocking member 19.

At the end of the pivotal movement the abutment 21 rigid with the breech bears against the blocking member 19 and causes this member to release the ejector 13 which then expels the cartridge case under the action of the spring 14.

To reload the apparatus, in inserting a cartridge and locking the tool sufficient force is exerted on the ejector 13 to ensure that the ejector will be engaged and held by the blocking member 19.

The breech is then pivotally moved into a position coaxial with the barrel, and the two members are moved towards one another axially and then locked by rotation through about one quarter of a turn.

It will be clear that the mechanism described and illustrated enables the breech to be locked and unlocked very easily, because the pivotal movement takes place about the axis corresponding to the position of the pivot of the breech on the ring 6 at the end of the pivotal movement.

Similarly, when it is required to close the breech after the cartridge case has been ejected and the apparatus has been reloaded, the barrel and the breech are automatically in the position for beginning the locking operation as soon as these two members have been brought back into alignment with one another.

Lastly, there is no need to emphasize the advantage of the automatic ejection device which operates by itself at the end of the pivotal movement of the breech relatively to the barrel, that is to say, in a position in which the breech does not in any way interfere with the movement of the ejector and of the cartridge case which is thus thrown outwards.

FIGURE 5 shows a simplified embodiment of the invention. FIGURE 5 shows the barrel 1 and the breech 2 connected to the barrel through the intermediary of the ring 6 and the two screws 9 and 10 as in the first embodiment.

In this second embodiment, the screw 10 does not project into the interior of the ring, and the channel 11 in 4- the barrel is omitted; the barrel can thus rotate freely relatively to the breech.

The locking means consists of a quick-pitch screw thread 5 as in the first embodiment.

In the simplified embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 5 the ejector has no blocking means and consists of a member 22 which slides in a recess formed in the barrel and is retained by a screw 23 which limits the displacement of the ejector under the action of a spring 24.

In this simplified embodiment, when the shot has been fired the barrel and breech are unlocked and the spring 24 drives the extractor outwards until the extractor abuts against the head of the screw 23; the cartridge case is then partly extracted from its chamber. After the pivotal movement, it is then only necessary to let the cartridge case fall out or to remove it by hand.

To reload the tool, a cartridge is placed in its orifice and in contact with the ejector which is in the released position. When the barrel is then locked on the breech, the cartridge is automatically pushed fully into its chamber and the extractor is also pushed in.

It will be clear that the embodiments described and illustrated are not in any way limiting and can be modi fied in any appropriate Way provided that they remain within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claim.

What I claim is:

A tool utilizing an explosive cartridge, said tool comprising a breech, a ring coaxially mounted on said breech for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the breech, a barrel rotatably mounted in said ring for swinging movement into and out of alignment with said breech and for axial movement toward and away from said breech, said breech and the breech end of said barrel being provided with mating internal and external threads respectively, a cartridge ejector carried by said barrel, means biassing said ejector to ejecting position, a detent in said barrel restraining said ejector against movement to said ejecting position, said detent being movable between a restraining and a release position, means for stopping rotation of said barrel relative to said breech when they have been relatively rotated through a predetermined angle, and an abutment on said breech positioned to contact said detent when said barrel and breech have been relatively rotated through said predetermined angle and said barrel is swung out of alignment with said breech.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,674,907 6/28 Lindsay 42-40 1,849,507 3/32 Sedgley. 2,076,927 4/ 37 Weber 421 2,799,108 7/57 Kopf et al. 144.5 XR 3,009,157 11/61 Kvavle.

FOREIGN PATENTS 306,918 2/29 Great Britain.

806,193 12/58 Great Britain. 1,257,437 2/61 France.

JULIUS E. WEST, Primary Examiner, 

